In Comforting Arms
by InuGhost2.0
Summary: Claudia's near death experience in 'For the Team' leads her to takking a week off in an effort to recover from it. She turns to Fargo for help but can he help her overcome this traumatic event or is she doomed to be trapped by it for the rest of her life?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: In Comforting Arms**

**By: InuGhost2.0**

**Date: 8/27/10**

**Summary:** After her near death experience in 'For the Team' Claudia takes some time off to get over the incident. Originally planning to go to her brother for comfort she instead finds herself going to Douglas Fargo instead. Can the geeky head of GD help Claudia get over this traumatic experience, or is she doomed to remain trapped by it? Rating may increase later.

**Disclaimer: **Ok as many of you already know I don't own anything that appears in this. For those of you who are new, or believe others then read my lips (metaphorically speaking in this case) I. Do. Not. Own. Warehouse 13. Or Eureka. Good now that that is settled…on with the story.

"Myka, can I ask a big favor of you?" Claudia hesitantly asked as the Secret Service agent was loading the last of her bags into the SUV they'd rented for their mission.

"Claudia what's wrong?" Myka was concerned about the teenager especially after her near brush with death when she'd fallen into that vat of Boiling Point. Hours later the teen was still an unhealthy shade of white and Myka had observed her shivering violently and breaking down into tears when she thought the older woman wasn't looking.

"It has just been a long day…and I'm tired and not really looking forward to a three hour plane ride back to South Dakota just so my sleep cycle can be completely screwed up. Could I…can I just take a couple days off. You know spread my legs and enjoy my time outside of the warehouse before I have to head back and endure Artie's constant questioning, Pete's jokes and Leena hovering around all concerned about me?" Claudia finished lamely her eyes burning a hole in the ground at Myka's feet as she dared not even look the agent in the face and reveal her emotional turmoil.

Sighing she gnawed lightly at her lower lip as she mentally processed Claudia's request. While her excuse had not been one of the best she had ever heard Myka could not help but think that it might be for the best if Claudia did take some time off. After all the nineteen year old had witnessed a boy, around the same age as her, spontaneously combust this morning and had herself nearly died that same afternoon when she'd fallen into the vat of Boiling Point contaminated by the artifact. Making a decision she pulled out her Farnsworth and contacted Artie. After a few tense minutes an agreement had been reached. Closing the device and putting it away she turned back to the teen noticing that Claudia was staring off into the distance and idly rubbing at her arms as though she was cold, even though it was at least mid eighties outside.

"Artie is willing to give you a week off considering this is the first time you've ever been through anything like this. There will be a plane waiting for you at the airport that will take you to Switzerland so you can spend some time with your brother." Myka finished gently. The agent was unprepared for the teen to suddenly spring forward and wrap her up in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you." Claudia whispered quietly silently cursing herself as she felt tears spill from her eyes. She had spent years trying to be stronger than this, and yet one near death experience and she was falling apart worse than when everyone had thought Joshua had died. Releasing her friend Claudia furiously scrubbed at her eyes in an effort to erase all traces of her earlier crying.

**An hour later**

As Claudia watched the city of Tamalpais recede into the night she could not suppress a shiver that ran through her. Watching its light dwindle away only served to remind her of how the flames slowly flickered and died after fully burning through that wrestler. As she mentally replayed the event over and over again in her head she felt something rising in her throat. Recognizing the feeling Claudia hastily unbuckled her seat belt and clamped a hand over her mouth as she rushed into the bathroom. After emptying the entire contents of her stomach Claudia only felt mildly better. She then collapsed to the ground and wept uncontrollably.

She had no idea how long she sat there crying though after what felt like hours she finally stopped weeping. Getting off of the ground Claudia was shocked at her haggard appearance in the mirror. Wiping her mouth she washed her hands before cupping them under the faucet and collecting some water so she could rinse the vile taste out of her mouth. Once most of the taste was out of her mouth she splashed water on her face making herself feel somewhat better.

Exiting the bathroom Claudia staggered back to her seat and collapsed into it. Laying back in her seat Claudia tried to think of anything other than what she had gone through this day. Trying to think of happier times she began to recall the time she had spent in Eureka with Douglas Fargo. Remembering their incident in the mine field Claudia could not help but smile as she recalled how embarrassed he had been when he had become aroused while she was atop him, in spite of laying on top of a landmine.

Giving it some thought Claudia knew she needed to make a decision. Did she want to go and see her brother in Switzerland and hope that he would help her overcome this fear she felt eating her up from within, or divert the plane for Eureka. Thinking it over for a few minutes Claudia attempted to weigh the pros and cons of both choices before finally reaching the inevitable conclusion.

**A/N: That's it for the moment. Sorry if this wasn't the best start to this story, but I promise you it will get better as it goes along. Please let me know what you thought, and remember reviews make authors happy, and happy authors are productive authors.**


	2. Traveling to Eureka

**Title: In Comforting Arms ch 2**

**By: InuGhost2.0**

**Date: 9/1/10**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing that appears in this and the chances of that ever changing is as likely as Jo falling inexplicably in love with Fargo and the poor guy being forced to choose between her and Claudia.

With a gently bump the airplane touched gracefully down on the wet tarmac. Several large puddles of water dimly reflected the plane's visage as it passed them slowly like a ghost in the night. The unexpected break in the heavy storm that had been pummeling the airport not twenty minutes ago was a welcome relief to both the pilots and their passenger. Neither had fancied trying to land in the middle of the night with visibility reduced to a frightening three hundred feet.

As the plane coasted to a stop Claudia sat up in her seat and tiredly rubbed at her eyes. She had attempted to sleep during the flight but her dreams had been plagued by the memory of the wrestler's fiery death. In her dreams she was back there forced to watch him burn and being unable to do a thing to help him. As horrible as they were the nightmare that had plagued her after speaking with the pilot haunted her more. In that one she had been the one burning to death and had awoken screaming loud enough to disturb the pilots who had sent someone back to check on her.

As the plane finally came to a stop Claudia was up and out of her seat before the door had even opened. Grabbing her large duffle bag, that she had filled with about three days worth of clothes prior to leaving with Myka, Claudia rushed over to the door and opened it herself, earning a cry of anger from one of the pilots, jumping out the door she escaped injury thanks to the tarmac being relatively close. Getting to her feet she took of running before the pilots could even begin lecturing her and was gone into the night.

**Twenty Minutes Later**

Having successfully rented a car, thanks to a little fast talk and a whole lot of hacking, Claudia was on the road towards her destination. She had managed to yank herself out of her depression some thanks to a CD she had complied from various songs Doug had recommended to her over the last couple of weeks. Somehow knowing that these were some of his favorite songs and that he wanted to share them with her helped ease the pain she was feeling.

Listening to the songs Claudia thought back to the short time she had known Doug. When she had first met him at Warehouse 13 he had intrigued with his technological knowledge. A part of her had rejoiced at finally having someone to talk with who knew as much about technology as she did. Strangely she felt comfortable around him, more so than she did when she spent time with her boyfriend Todd, and did not worry about embarrassing herself in front of him. When they had kissed after defeating the MARAS Claudia had chalked her actions up as being caught up in the heat of the moment. A part of her had felt bad about letting slip the information about her boyfriend Todd, especially when she noticed the heartbroken face Doug tried to hide from her, but she had felt certain about her feelings for Todd and figured Doug would get over it quickly. After all a guy with that kind of tech knowledge and looks had to have a couple girls more than willing to date him back at his hometown.

It wasn't until the incident with Max Wertheimer's Zoetrope that Claudia had learned how lonely Doug's life truly was. In a way she felt a connection with him grounded in their mutually lonely pasts where they had been teased, tormented and ridiculed by their peers simply for being different. Admittedly a part of her had simply wanted to just hold the guy and cry for the pain they had both been forced to endure, instead she had chosen to ignore what she had seen, something that she still regretted doing.

When Todd had broken up with her that night Claudia was devastated. It was the first time in several months that she had cried herself to sleep. Aside from her work at the warehouse the only person who had managed to drag her out of her melancholy state had been Douglas. How he had gotten the number to Leena's did not concern Claudia she had simply been thankful for the friendly voice. When he'd invited her to Eureka she had been overjoyed. Like Doug Claudia had heard rumors about Eureka though nothing substantial, and getting to see a place with a legend almost equal to that of Atlantis thrilled her. While in the town Claudia had found herself drawing closer and closer to Douglas. Though the two had shared several kisses Claudia was still uncertain of their relationship when she had left the town. Maybe now that she was returning, albeit for a different type of help from her last visit, she could hopefully figure everything out and perhaps fill the void she still felt in her heart despite the family she had found with Artie, Myka and Pete.

As Claudia continued driving towards Eureka the storm that had been raging for most of the day began to show signs of starting up once more. With the aid of the headlights Claudia could see tree branches bend and sway like drunken dancers as the wind whipped violently through them. More than once she was forced to slow down as the wind buffeted her car regardless of the forest surrounding her. As a brilliant white flash lit up the area like a camera's flash with a loud thunderous crack right on its heels. Claudia could feel the entire car vibrate from the loud noise and let loose a string of curses as the heavens once again opened up and began flooding the world.

"Oh this is just great. This day just keeps going from bad to worse. I would swear someone was out to get me!" Still grumbling Claudia flipped a nearby switch on the dashboard and the windshield wipers came to life. Their constant thwack, thwack, thwack drowning out her CD as they attempted to keep up with the torrential downpour.

After driving for several more minutes Claudia saw something that raised her spirits. 'Welcome to Eureka' the sign proudly proclaimed. With the town in sight Claudia tried to remember where exactly Doug lived at. He had casually mentioned it to her once, and she was hopeful that between her memory and Douglas', provided she could access the correct portion of it, that she would be able to find her way to his house without having to stop for directions or calling him before hand.

As Claudia entered the town a series of bright red and blue lights appeared in her rearview mirror. Gritting her teeth in frustration she threw on her turn signal and pulled over to the side of the street. For several tense minutes while she waited for the officer to come talk with her Claudia thought over how best to get out of this situation. If she was lucky and it was Sheriff Carter then she likely could talk her way out of this. A sharp tap at her window pulled her out of her thoughts and as she saw the smiling face of Deputy Andy Claudia knew fate must have had it out for her that night.

"Ms. Donovan I didn't know you were coming back to town, it's a pleasure seeing you again." Andy cheerfully greeted her utterly oblivious to the rain pouring down from the sky and running down the inside of Claudia's rental.

"Uh yeah it's great to see you too Andy." Claudia said tersely as she fought to keep her emotions in check. She wanted nothing more than to get on her way and she did not want to be delayed by chitchatting with Andy.

"So what brings you back into town?"

"I'm visiting Doug. So can I please go now?"

For several seconds Andy stood there motionless and silent grinning at Claudia in an increasingly creepy way. "I'm sorry Ms. Donovan but there is nothing in the records about you coming to visit."

Claudia rolled her eyes at the Deputy's incompetence "There isn't a record. He doesn't know I'm coming because I want to surprise him."

"Well I'm sorry but according to town law all visitors have to fill in paper work at the Sheriff's office when they first enter town. You'll have to come with me. Though don't worry once Sheriff Carter comes in tomorrow then you can get all the paper work filled out and be on your way." Andy cheerfully told Claudia still smiling that annoying smile.

"Yeah I don't think so Andy." Claudia replied her patience completely gone by this point. Reaching into her jacket pocket Claudia extracted her custom made Tesla and took careful aim at the Deputy. One fully charged Tesla shot later the Deputy was flat on the ground emitting smoke out of his ears. "I do pretty good work if I do say so myself." Claudia proudly stated.

As she bent to start her rental back up Claudia hesitated and looked in her rearview mirror. 'With the amount of smoke that robot is emitting he'll likely be out of commission for the next several hours, possibly even days. So it's not like anyone could stop me.' Biting her lower lip Claudia's thoughts raced as she struggled with this difficult choice.

**30 seconds later**

"Yeah definitely the right decision." Claudia proudly proclaimed as she slammed the door closed. With a wide grin on her face she threw the car into gear and hit the gas.

Its engine roaring and siren blaring loudly the deputy's vehicle sped off into the night with its new owner behind the wheel.

**Fargo's House**

'Who could it be at this late hour?' Pausing the episode of Buffy he had been watching Fargo got up off the couch and headed for door. Since it was already past 10 most reasonable people wouldn't be calling on someone this late especially in this terrible weather. With that in mind he worried for a moment that it was Sheriff Carter come to arrest him for some crime he didn't commit, at least to the best of his knowledge though with Eureka you could never be certain.

Opening the door Fargo was shocked to see Claudia Donovan. Her appearance had dramatically changed from when he'd last seen her getting on GD elevator. Standing on his doorstep with her clothes completely soaked through and her hair plastered to her forehead she still looked like a vision of loveliness to his eyes even as she shivered uncontrollably. As she gives him on of her trademark smiles a fearful haunted look remains in her eyes. "Hey Doug do you mind if I come in out of the rain?"

**A/N: And that dear reader(s) is the end of this chapter. Though do not fret for there will be more to come. Feel free to review and give me ideas/suggestions of how this story should proceed. And remember reviews make authors happy, and happy authors are productive authors.**


	3. Of Laundry and Hot Showers

**In Comforting Arms ch 3**

**By:** InuGhost2.0

**Date**: 9/23/10

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay with this chapter. It's been in developmental limbo for a while. I had to rewrite it because I didn't like how it turned out. So hopefully this chapter is up to quality and believable for the characters.

**Disclaimer: **After making use of the latest developments at Eureka I have managed to genetically alter a pig that can fly. Now all I have to do is figure out who actually owns the rights to Eureka and Warehouse 13 and convince them to give me the rights 'when pigs fly'. (As InuGhost laughs evilly Fargo inappropriately pushes a button for the 39th time causing the flying pigs to revert back to genetic goo) FARGO! (His lower lip quivering InuGhost turns back to the camera with tears brimming at the corners of his eyes) Never mind. I still own nothing.

As Claudia pulled her wet shirt off, she couldn't resist shivering in the cool air. With shaking hands she managed to undo the button of her jeans even as goose bumps covered her exposed flesh. Groaning in annoyance she leaned back against the marble countertop as she struggled to pry her wet jeans off of her flesh. Mentally she cursed herself for buying tight clothes that were in style, but near impossible to remove if they were wet. Finally with a loud tear Claudia managed to rip the jeans off even as her head flew backwards and banged loudly against the bathroom mirror behind her.

"Crap that really hurt!" Clutching at the back of her head Claudia let loose a long stream of curse words as her fingers gently probed for any signs of blood or other injuries. Focused solely on the pain and cursing: the jean's designer, the store that stocked them, and the cute salesperson that convinced her that she would look 'hot and sexy' in the designer jeans; it took Claudia a few moments to register Fargo's voice calling out to her. "What Doug?" she snapped

"Is everything alright in there?" Fargo asked tentatively.

"I banged my head against this stupid mirror." She raped her fist against it to emphasize her point.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Doug." Claudia replied back annoyed more at the unblemished and undamaged mirror than she was at her host.

"I'm gla…that's good to hear Claudia. If you want I can throw your stuff in the laundry so that it will be somewhat wearable tomorrow. You know just so you actually have something to wear, unless of course you brought some stuff with you in which case I guess it really doesn't matter."

Claudia couldn't help but smile as she listened to Doug ramble on. It was rather sweet how he was over explaining in an effort to cover his nerves. "I hope you're not just saying that in hopes of seeing me naked."

Though Claudia could not see his face she was positive he was blushing from her last comment. Especially given how he was stumbling over his own words. "What? No, of course not. Not that I wouldn't…I mean you're hot and all, but you're a friend…"

Opening the door she stuck her head out while making sure the rest of her body was hidden from sight. "Relax Douglas I was joking. Just let me get out of my underwear and then you can have my stuff."

Closing the door Claudia leaned quietly against it listening. Hearing a whispered "Ow" as Doug likely pinched himself, to ensure he was not dreaming she nodded her head in satisfaction for having made the guy's week. Getting out of her underwear proved to be simpler than her jeans. As the final article of clothing hit the ground with a wet plop an involuntary shiver raced through her body reminding her she was soaking wet.

After starting the shower, to make sure it was nice and warm, Claudia gather her wet things into a pile and wrapped them up in a towel. Opening the bathroom door enough to stick her clothes through, yet still maintain her modesty, she was grateful when Doug took the bundle from her seconds later.

Stepping into the shower Claudia's eyes closed in satisfaction as she let the warm water flow over her. A low moan escaped her as the cold damp chill that had infected her was washed away.

It still felt as though he was dreaming. That was the only logical explanation. Yet when he had pinched himself Douglas Fargo had felt the pain and he knew that should not have been the case were he dreaming. Yet it still seemed too surreal. If someone had walked up to him this morning and told him that Claudia Donovan, the woman he had a crush on since their meeting at Warehouse 13, would be in his home and using his shower he would have chuckled politely at their dumb joke before moving on.

When she had shown up on his doorstep thoroughly soaked from the downpour Fargo wanted to kick himself when the first words out of his mouth were "Of course you can come in. We need to get you out of those wet things." Thankfully the tech genius had taken it for the slip of the tongue that it was and had accepted his rational of wanting to prevent her from catching a cold.

While a part of him had wanted nothing more than to question her sudden visit and the haunted look in her eyes his concern for her wellbeing had taken priority. 'Plus she'll tell me when she's ready. If I question her before then it will do more harm than good.' He thought as he flipped on the laundry room light.

Dropping the clothed bundle to the floor he winced at the wet 'plop' it made. Bending down and unwrapping the clothing he began sorting through it trying to decide if it could be done in a single load. Coming across Claudia's underwear, deep lavender purple he noted, images of her wearing the articles of clothing began to manifest themselves in his mind even as his face turned red in embarrassment. 'This is not the time to daydream Douglas.' He mentally chastised himself. 'Focus on something else like next week's test on that alternative energy source and not Claudia's luscious curves clad only in these skimpy items. Fuck.' He mentally cursed as more perverted thoughts about Claudia rose to the surface.

Tossing the wet bundle into the washer, he saw little reason in not getting it as clean as possible for the teen; he set the dials and started the machine up. With a quiet whir and whoosh the machine came to life and began the cleaning cycle.

Heading back towards the Living Room the geeky director of Global Dynamics was uncertain what he should do. Deciding to go with his instincts he changed directions and headed into the Kitchen. Once there he dug through the cabinets in search of the hot chocolate mix he had acquired from Vincent. It had taken several months of pleading, negotiating, and outright begging on his part but he had finally managed to convince the owner of Café Diem to give him a powdered mix of his beloved recipe. Like everything else Vincent made his hot chocolate was to die for and was perfect for cold and/or wintery days. Fargo just hoped he was making the right decision since he did not even know if Claudia even liked hot chocolate.

It took a while for Fargo to locate the mixture and get it prepared. Luckily he had come across a packet of marshmallows during his search and decided to take them with him. Allowing for Claudia to add some to her drink if she so desired. Putting the two drinks on a tray along with the marshmallows Fargo headed back out into the Living Room. As he entered the room he nearly dropped the tray at the heart stopping sight before him.

Claudia had lost track of time as relaxed beneath the stream of water. It was at the perfect temperature, the one that's just right and makes you never want to leave. As she felt warmth return to her body a troubling memory entered her mind.

_She should be shivering but if anything she felt too warm. Lying down in a literal tub of ice in naught but her jeans and a tank top Claudia felt hot. It felt as if she had just gotten into a hot tub and her body had yet to adapt to the warm water. She knew that her time was running out and it would not be long before she met the same fate as the unfortunate wrestlers. Her body was constantly shivering at this point though not from being cold, but from the fear that had her heart in its icy grip. Her mind racing Claudia kept wondering what would happen if H.G. Wells did not develop a cure in time. Would she burst into flames and be reduced to ash, would she mercifully pass out or die from the heat before she caught alight, if she did burst into flames would anyone else be hurt? On and on the questions poured through her mind leaving her frightened and wishing for nothing more than a comforting presence. Her brother, Artie, even Fargo or Todd would be a welcome sight by this point. They would put on a brave face and try to take her mind off her impending doom. _

'No!' She mentally cried. 'I can't let my thoughts go down that path again. I didn't die, I'm still here, and I'm still alive.' Unconsciously she brushed away the tears that were falling down her face. The warm water cascading down onto her from the shower head no longer comforted her and so she turned it off.

Stepping out of the shower Claudia took the remaining towel off the rack began vigorously drying herself. Once she felt she was thoroughly dry Claudia groaned and lightly smacked her forehead as she realized something. 'Crap, I've got nothing to wear and I can't go out there naked.' She thought 'Though Douglas might appreciate the sight. And he might even reciprocate sometime in the future.' 'Gah, what am I thinking bad thoughts bad thoughts!' The damage was done however and a memory of Douglas Fargo streaking through Global Dynamics, after his chance encounter in the shower with the green man eating blob, came floating to the surface of her mind. It was closely followed by another memory of Fargo's from 1947 when he was left streaking through the army base before being caught by the military.

"Calm down Claudia. This is neither the time nor place to indulge in those kinds of memories or thoughts." Blushing at the familiar warm feeling developing between her legs Claudia hung up the towel back up as her eyes scanned the room for something to wear. It did not take long for her to spy the dark green robe that was hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

Slipping the robe on Claudia's eyes closed in pleasure at its soft and comfortable feeling even as she tied it closed. Heading back out into the Living room Claudia saw no signs of Douglas but deduced that he was in the Kitchen judging by the sounds coming from that room. Spotting a nearby clock she was somewhat surprised to see that it was already past 11:00. She contemplated calling Myka to make sure she got back safely, but decided against it due to the late hour. As she sat down on the couch finally relaxing Claudia felt overcome with weariness. It had been a long and stressful day and it had finally caught up with her. Yawning loudly she laid down on the couch intending to simply relax and wait for Douglas to return, yet within moments she was fast asleep.

Recovering quickly from the sight of the beautiful angel wearing his robe Fargo set the tray he was carrying down on a nearby table. Although he knew he should let her sleep a part of him simply would not allow him to let her sleep on his couch. Going over he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Claudia." He whispered "Claudia wake up."

"Mmm…go way Pete. I need some rest. Go bother Myka." Claudia mumbled in her sleep as she rolled over onto her side facing away from Fargo.

Smiling Fargo shook her again a little more forcefully this time. "Come on Claudia you need to get up if only for a moment. I can't very well carry you to bed by myself."

"Mm…fine…fine. I'm up." Claudia rolled back over and gave Fargo a tired smile.

"Come on, there is no way I'm letting my guest spend the night sleeping on the couch. You can sleep in my bed and I'll take the couch out here." He said gently as he helped her sit up and get back onto her feet.

"Douglas…" She began before she loudly yawned while still trying to speak "…stay in the guest bed." She finished as she rubbed her eyes with a free hand. The other hand and arm was clutched tightly by Fargo's as he maneuvered her through the house while avoiding obstacles.

"I don't have a guest bedroom. I don't get a lot of visitors." The last part he said quietly in the hopes that Claudia would not hear. The teen gave no indication of hearing what he said and complacently allowed him to lead her towards his bedroom.

Nudging open the door with his foot Fargo silently thanked the fact that he had decided to do laundry today, as opposed to waiting another two days for Thursday to roll around, and thus had clean sheets on his bed for Claudia to sleep on. As he released the exhausted teen he quickly pulled back the sheets while keeping an eye on Claudia to make sure she didn't fall over. Maneuvering the redhead into the bed proved to be a simple task as she somehow automatically gravitated over to it and climbed in of her own accord. Pulling the sheets over her and tucking them under her chin Fargo leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. A smile lit up his face at the gentle sigh that escaped the teen he was crushing on as she snuggled in the comfortable bed. Heading to the door he paused for a moment as Claudia spoke.

"Doug." Her voice sounded tired and somewhat scared, he thought before waving the thought aside as being ridiculous.

"What is it Claudia?"

"Could you…" She hesitated a moment debating whether or not to continue "Would you possibly…stay here with me tonight?" She finished with a hopeful tone in her voice.

Fargo did not even need a moment to think about it. "Sure Claudia. Whatever you want." Closing the bedroom door he climbed into the bed beside her.

**A/N:** And so ends this chapter. Please let me know what you think and if I should continue this story or not. As always all comments and suggestions are welcome. Anyway I should hopefully have the next chapter up before the end of next week. Oh and remember reviews make authors happy and happy authors are productive authors.


	4. An Embarrassing Morning

In Comforting Arms ch 4

By: InuGhost2.0

Date: 10/4/10

**A/N: **As promised here is the next chapter of 'In Comforting Arms'. Prepare yourself for thrills, chills, tender romantic moments, and possibly moments where you want to chew the author out for not taking advantage of a situation. On a final note Seshin did give me a thumbs up for the whole morning after thing, so…don't be too upset if it turns out differently from what you hoped.

**Disclaimer: "**Yeah I still unfortunately don't own anything that appears in this story. It's not so much from a lack of trying, as it is from the defenses that have been erected around the place where the rights are stored. On an unrelated note if anyone happens to know a surefire way to disable Tiny and some upset MARAS I'd definitely appreciate it." The camera pans back to show InuGhost2.0 stuck up a tree with Tiny and the MARAS circling below him waiting for him to come down.

"_Ms. Donovan such a pleasure to see you again. May I offer you a drink? You drink Coca Cola correct?" Seated on a plateau high above the gathered crowd a shadowy figure sits comfortably. Seated below the figure on the floor, and kept in place thanks to a collar around his neck, is none other than Douglas Fargo. At the sight of Claudia he gives her a pleading look his eyes asking for her to save him._

_Glaring at the figure Claudia shoves aside a member of the wait staff who walks up carrying her drink. "I'm not here to drink or socialize. I've come for Doug. Hand him over this instant." Her eyes cold with hate Claudia makes to rush up the steps at the figure, but the moment her foot touches the first step she is frozen in place by a mysterious force._

_The figure gracefully rises from her seat a relaxed smile on her face as she idly twirls a gun in her free hand. "Fargo? Why on Earth would you want anything to do with him? The only time anyone wants to associate with him is either when they need something, or they're forced to. Truthfully his feelings for me are well known, and I'm more than willing to put up with him to save everyone else the trouble." Slowly she walks down the steps still twirling her gun though she makes sure to stop just out of Claudia's reach. Looking down at the tech geek the figure offers her a disarming smile trying to put her at ease._

"_It's because I…"_

A loud beeping sound filled the room interrupting Claudia's dream. Groaning at being forced to wake up and the dream she had been enjoying being interrupted she reached a hand out and slammed it down on the alarm cutting off the annoying noise.

As Claudia began waking up she realized with a start how comfortable and relaxed she truly felt. Douglas' presence behind her, with an arm loosing wrapped around her waist his other one behind her head having helped support it throughout the night before wrapping around her shoulder, felt right for some reason. Closing her eyes Claudia decided to relax and enjoy this moment of comfort while it lasted.

CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-

Douglas Fargo was having a wonderful dream. So when it was interrupted by his alarm clock going off he could not help but groan. Determined to try and finish his dream he stubbornly ignored his alarm and sighed in relief when it shut off. Sighing in contentment he pulled the pillow he was clutching tighter to him and rubbed his face against its soft surface for several seconds before burying his face in it and inhaling deeply of its flowery scent.

'Wait…my pillows don't have a flowery scent.' The idle thought flowed through his addled mind and began starting up his mental processes. 'And were they ever this soft before?' Allowing one of his hands to gently drift down the pillow he was somewhat surprised to encounter an unknown bump in it that felt softer than the rest of it. Giving it a gentle squeeze he was uncertain what to make of the gasp that his pillow emitted. 'Wait…that's not my pillow.'

"Hmm…Doug do you think you could stop groping me? You probably need to be getting up and heading off to work." A female voice quietly and gently said.

At that moment it all came rushing back to him. His evening being interrupted by Claudia's unexpected visit. How she had been soaking wet from the rain and he let her use his shower so she didn't catch a cold, and finally the fact that she had asked him to stay with her during the night. In an instant he had released her and tried to put as much distance between them as possible, which utterly failed since one of his arms was pinned beneath her body. As he desperately tried to babble out some kind of apology, while mentally bracing for the tirade she was likely to release both verbally and physically.

"Relax Doug its alright. I know it was merely an accident." Claudia said with a hint of disappointment in her voice that Fargo completely missed. She lifted up slightly allowing Fargo to extract his hand before lying back down.

After getting out of bed Fargo quickly gathered up his stuff and headed into his bathroom to get cleaned up.

CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-

As Claudia heard the shower starting up she finally allowed her head to unbury itself from her pillow. Rolling onto her back she sighed heavily as she stared up at the ceiling. A part of her hated the fact that she had chosen to speak up as opposed to letting Doug continue with his exploratory feeling, but she could not help remembering her uncertainty on their relationship. Sure she thought she might have feelings for the geeky Global Dynamics director, she just didn't know if he felt anything for her other than friendship.

As she lay there staring up at the ceiling she could not help but wonder why she was even here. Her decision to come to Doug for help had been rather rash, considering she usually took care to think things through before acting, yet it had felt right at the time. 'What's done is done. I'm here now so I might as well try and enjoy myself.' She thought as she extracted herself from the bed.

Taking Fargo's robe off Claudia rummaged through one of his dresser drawers and smiled as she found one of his button shirts. Pulling it on she was satisfied with its length, it hung several inches past her rear and would keep her modesty intact, so with her stomach rumbling she maneuvered her way out of Fargo's bedroom and into his Kitchen.

CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-CDF-

Standing under the warm shower spray Fargo still felt embarrassed by what he had done. Sure Claudia had forgiven him, but the fact that he had done it… 'I can't believe I screwed up this badly and so quickly. I just hope she doesn't hate me for this.' He nervously worried.

Despite the concern he had for Claudia's opinion of him a part of Fargo pleasantly reminisced about the feel of Claudia in his arms and hands. There was little doubt in his mind about his feelings for Warehouse 13's resident tech geek, and while he secretly wished that their relationship was not limited to mere friendship, he had enough character to know better than to act on his feelings. Sure Claudia had kissed him goodbye before she left to return home, and had even broken up with Todd, Fargo still could not fathom the guy's reasons for breaking up with her, but it had likely been only out of friendship. And if that is all she wanted to be with him, then who was he to disrespect her wishes.

As he finished showering he recalled how Claudia had looked on his front doorstep last night. The look in her eyes had worried him, and while he wanted to respect her and wait till she was ready to tell him everything, it would possibly be alright to at least inquire how she had been doing since he saw her last. The best way for him to do that, he decided, was to be there for her. His mind made up he exited the bathroom to get dressed and make an important call.

At the sight of his robe on the floor and the bed empty Fargo was somewhat perplexed on Claudia's whereabouts. But as his nose caught the scent of something delicious cooking he quickly realized where she was.

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Gnawing slightly at her lower lip Claudia cast a worried eye on the bacon she had sizzling in a skillet. It had been several months since she had last cooked; Leena did the majority of the cooking for the Warehouse agents and got snippy if someone tried to take that task away from her as Claudia had found out one morning when the proprietor of the Bed and Breakfast had literally thrown her out of the kitchen. It didn't help matters that Douglas' kitchen was radically different from non-Eureka ones. It had taken a little finagling before she managed to get the stove to light up.

Taking her attention off the bacon she stirred the eggs she had cooking on a different burner. 'Hopefully Doug likes his scrambled.' She thought as she decided the eggs were ready. Turning off the burner she scooped a little more than half onto her plate before putting the rest onto his.

Taking the used skillet over to the faucet she dumped it into the warm soapy water she had already prepared. Flipping the switch to turn the automatic washer on she went back to finish the bacon when she noticed Fargo standing in the open doorway looking at her with a red tinge to his cheeks.

Feeling slightly like a kid caught doing something she was not supposed to be doing Claudia opened her mouth and began stumbling over her words in an effort to explain her actions. "Oh…uh…Morning. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast, since your letting me stay here and all, you don't mind do you? It took a little work, but I managed to figure all of the stuff out. You really should be a bit more organized, or maybe just label where things are at. Oh your need more eggs, and bread. I used up the last making all this."

Offering the redhead a warm smile headed over and sat down. "It all looks delicious Claudia. I didn't know you could cook."

"Heh." Chuckling Claudia sat down across from Doug. "I'm not really that good. But, when you're raising yourself you either learn to survive or you don't." Her good mood quickly evaporated as she began recalling some of her time without Joshua. However before she could get too lost in her thoughts she felt a warm hand on her own. Looking up at Douglas' concerned face she shook her head from side to side. "It's a long story, and…I really don't want to get into it yet."

"Say no more. I understand. This reminds me I need to make a quick call." Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket he quickly hit 9 on the speed dial.

As he listened to it ring he let his mind drift. Truthfully he had forgotten about making his call. The sight of Claudia standing in the kitchen making breakfast; wearing one of his shirts with the sleeves rolled above her elbows along with what appeared to be the panties she wore last night. Try as he might not to stare at the breathtaking sight she made it had not taken him long to realize she had chosen to forgo her bra. That sight had driven all rational thought from his head, and he had utterly missed half of what Claudia had first said.

"You've reached Dr. Fargo's office. He's not here at the moment, but if you leave a message I'll be sure to give it to him." A chipper voice answered.

"Larry…"Fargo began as he collected his thoughts and decided on what he was going to say. "…I'm going to be taking the next few days off for personal reasons. I'm not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency. While I'm going Dr. Blake is going to be in charge."

"Dr. Blake? Sir I'm not sure that is a good idea. She is only the head of the medical science division so she might not have the experience or qualifications to be acting Director." Larry replied his voice dripping with so much sugar Fargo wanted to gag.

"Uh…um…well you see…" Fargo was uncertain what to say. Usually Larry did whatever Fargo told him to do, but now that he was standing up to the him, left Fargo uncertain how to validate his decision. Thankfully Claudia quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper and handed it to him with a smile and a wink.

Quickly reading through the sheet Fargo's eyes widened. 'This just may work.' He thought with surprise. Hastily clearing his throat he put as much authority and charm into his voice, like Dr. Stark used to when talking to his subordinates, as he read aloud what Claudia had written. "Larry, as the Head of Global Dynamics all my decisions are final. If you feel the need to question said decisions then that's fine. I'll simply find a new assistant. Oh…and if you ever dare question me again then you are going to be spending the next six months assigned to Eureka's research facility down in Antarctica. Understand!" He hollered into the phone and hung up before Larry could respond. With that done he collapsed back into his seat, wiped the sweat off his brow and grinned at Claudia.

"Thanks I owe you big time for that."

**A/N**: **Well that's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Though don't worry, Fargo's actions will have repercussions. Especially since he's set in motion events beyond his control. Now that's taken care of ideas for what can happen in later chapters, between Fargo and Claudia, and other general things are more than welcome. **

**Oh before I forget. I have a quick question for the readers. I've been experimenting with trying to make my stories easier to read, and I don't know if anything I've been trying is working. Does it help at all for me to mark when the point of view is changing? Should I leave it left aligned or center? Are there other things I could do to make this easier and more enjoyable to read? **

**Anyway thanks for reading this chapter. Oh and remember reviews make authors happy, and happy authors are productive authors.**


	5. A Sign of Trouble

Date: 10/14/10

**A/N: **In a puff of smoke InuGhost2.0 suddenly appears bowing low. "Thank you dear readers for tuning in for chapter five of 'In Comforting Arms'. As mentioned in the last chapter some things are now going to occur that neither Fargo nor Claudia expected. Let me know what you think of these new developments, and if they should continue, or be scrapped. Also by next chapter I'll have finished the outline for this story so this is your last chance to offer suggestions and ideas about what direction this story so should go in and what you are wanting to see happen. They do stand a good chance of making it into this story. Also I'm still working on figuring out what will and won't accept in regards to identifying changes in perspective. " Bowing low once more InuGhost2.0 disappears in another cloud of smoke.

**Disclaimer: **The camera focuses on InuGhost2.0 still stuck in a tree like last time. "Considering I'm still stuck up this tree I have not had any opportunity to try and get my hands on the rights to Warehouse 13 or Eureka. Furthermore…" The author is interrupted as the tree violently shakes and starts to fall since Tiny, tired of waiting, has decided to cut the tree down so that it can get at the troublesome author. "…I can't believe I'm saying this, but HELP!"

**Claudia-Fargo-Claudia-Fargo**

Walking into Global Dynamics Jo Lupo frowned as she read through the morning security reports. Even though she was the head of security she liked to keep up with the various incidents occurring throughout the town. Since she was still staying at Sheriff Carter's due to the incident with Larry's rocket Jo had little difficulty in getting her hands on the reports and even in her new job capacity she still liked helping him out from time to time. Flipping through a couple pages of minor incidents that were unimportant her eyes widen slightly at a report filed last night.

9:37 P.M.

Deputy Andy incapacitated by strong energy blast from unknown weapon.

9:38 P.M.

Deputy Andy's vehicle stolen by suspect.

A low whistle escaped her as she read through what little information she had about the crime. 'Whoever did this had to have guts or was desperate.' She thought while heading up the stairs towards Fargo's office.

As much as the guy annoyed her, and reminded her of a younger brother at times, Jo had little choice but to interact with him on a daily basis. Being head of his security required it, not to mention the guy still needed her and Allison's help in acting the part of Head of GD.

As she reached his office she shot a glare in Larry's direction, she still hadn't forgiven him for destroying her house, and smiled at how ghostly white the man's face was. Grabbing hold of the office door handle Jo gave it a hard tug and was shocked when the door refused to budge an inch. Grumbling she set her stuff down on the ground and grabbed hold of the handle with both hands and pulled with all her strength. When the door still refused to give an inch Jo cursed aloud as she reached for her gun.

"Jo you might want to wait for me to open the door before you try and break it down." A friendly voice said from behind her. As the former deputy turned around she was greeted by Allison Blake's smiling face, and Sheriff Carter's smirk.

Seeing the unasked question in Jo's eyes Allison continued "Fargo called me a little while ago. He's taking the next few days off and left me in charge as acting director."

"Well if that isn't good for him. Would it have killed him to have at least informed me ahead of time." Jo retorted. "And what are you doing here Carter? Come to see Dr. Blake off?"

Jo smiled as both adults blushed at her question. While most of the other citizens remained ignorant of the feelings the two had for each other, Jo was not one of them. Especially since both had quietly, and individually, confided in her about the kiss they had shared and wanted her advice on what to do about it.

"Actually I'm here to see Fargo. There was an incident last night, you might have read about. Someone short circuited Deputy Andy and stole his car." Carter's smile told Jo that he was well aware of her reading his reports, and now that he was back on even footing with his former Deputy the Sheriff felt that he could relax.

"Pfft. Fargo's a lot of things, but even he doesn't have the guts to do something like that. Zane on the other hand…" Jo trailed off as a pang of sadness hit her heart. She was still not completely over losing her relationship with him.

"Actually I don't think Fargo had anything to do with it. Allison managed to help me access some of Andy's logs, before he was shut down, and the name Claudia Donovan jumped out. Last time she was here at the behest of Fargo so…"

"You think he would know if she's here and was involved." Jo finished. Unconsciously she tightened her fists crushing the papers she had picked up off the floor. Jo was not certain why, but there was just something about the girl and her relationship with Douglas that irked her.

"Exactly, however I have no way of tracking him down and there are other problems I need to deal with. Think you can handle it Jo?" Carter hopefully asked as he pulled a large Vincespresso from behind his back and offered it to the woman.

Snorting in disbelief Jo grabbed the drink from Carter and took a long drink. "Hmph won't be a problem at all. In fact I'll be glad to save you the trouble." She said darkly as she stormed past the two.

**Claudia-Fargo-Claudia-Fargo**

"Claudia are you alright?" Fargo finally asked as he looked over at his silent companion.

Huh…what?" Jolted out of her thoughts Claudia turned away from the window and looked over at Fargo's worried face.

"I asked you if everything is alright. You just don't seem to be your usual vibrant cheerful self." Turning his attention back to the road Fargo's eyes scanned the parking lot for a suitable parking place.

"uh…yeah everything is fine Doug. I've…I've just got a lot on my mind lately." Turning her attention back out the window she spotted something and cried out. "Over there Doug. That looks like a good spot."

Nodding his head silently Fargo pulled his car into the spot and got out. Before he could make his way over and open Claudia's door the teen was out of the vehicle and heading towards the building. Exhaling his held breath the Head of GD hurried to catch up with the teenager.

As the two entered Eureka's local mall a quiet "Wow." escaped Claudia as she took in the sight of the enormous structure. It was a rather impressive sight and similar to Warehouse 13 was much larger on the inside than it appeared. Various trees and plants lined the walkways and a large skylight allowed the sunlight to fill the building giving it more than sufficient lighting. As the two began wandering around the mall both were unaware that they were being followed. (More info on the mall can be found in 'Fountain of Youth')

**Claudia-Fargo-Claudia-Fargo**

This day was turning out to be a lot more troublesome than Jo had first thought. When she had reached Fargo's home she easily spotted her former vehicle, now Andy's in this reality, sitting parked in his driveway. If that was not proof enough for her that Fargo knew something about the incident, a couple seconds later she observed Claudia exiting his house with him close behind. While she could have stopped them then and there, her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she wanted to find out where they were headed. So she had followed them at a distance all the way to Eureka's mall. All the while she had been seething inside.

'Who does she think she is? She can't just come and go from here as she pleases. And she certainly can't just zap the town's law enforcement if she doesn't like them.' Mentally she had already convinced herself that the redhead had been the one to take down Andy. After all none of Eureka's other citizens would be dumb enough to do something like that.

'And how can Doug even associate with that…that…that girl! He's the Head of GD. He can't just go chasing after some tech geek like a horny teenager regardless of how hot he might think she is. Besides the way she acts is unprofessional. She probably acts just like Zane half the time.' Gritting her teeth in anger Jo found a parking spot far enough away that she wouldn't be easily spotted by them. Getting out of her vehicle she slammed the door closed as she ran towards the mall's entrance so she could catch sight of the two of them again.

"Fuck where the hell are they?" Jo swore as she looked around trying to find some trace of her targets. Seeing no sign of GD's director or his apparent 'guest' Jo let loose more profanity as she dug her cellphone free from her pocket. Her job as head of GD security had a few perks she would have liked to have had back when she was a deputy, and at the moment one of those perks would come in hand. Entering a special code into her phone a smile formed at the corners of her mouth as the device displayed a layout of the mall. As an added bonus a small yellow blip appeared on the map marking her location as another blip, this one light blue in appearance, marked the location of Douglas Fargo via his phone.

'You're not getting away from me that easily.' Jo thought as she headed in their direction.

**(Perspective Change)**

Starring at his feet Dr. Douglas Fargo nervously shifted in his seat. While he and Claudia had been walking through the mall he had been thinking how best to broach another conversation with her. His attempt in the car to find out what was bugging the teen had been politely shot down, and the attempt he had made at breakfast had only served to earn him a glare from the girl before she successfully dodged the question by changing the subject. Just as he had been about to ask her a safer question about how the new computer system at Warehouse 13 was functioning Claudia had grabbed hold of his arm and excitedly dragged him into a clothing store popular with the teenagers at Tesla high school.

"Doug I've got to check this place out. I can probably find some great outfits there." As she excitedly gone on about a similar store she had been in while spending time in Europe Fargo had stopped paying attention as he went bright red from the various outfits, or lack thereof, being worn by the mannequins. It did not help him any as Claudia drug him through various parts of the store as she selected a wide variety of items to try on. Before she headed into the changing room she had given him a brief hint of a smile as she asked him to wait while she try some stuff on. "It won't take me long Doug. Plus I'd like your opinion of them. Goodness knows I can never get a straight answer out of Pete, and Artie just grumbles at me for wasting time and money."

**Claudia-Fargo-Claudia-Fargo**

"Fargo…" At the sound of his name the geeky head of GD's head shot up. He visibly paled at the sight of Jo standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping rapidly on the floor. "…you have a lot of explaining to do."

**A/N: And so ends this chapter. I really hope you enjoyed it, and my apologies if it's not as good as the rest. Anyway please let me know what you thought of it. Suggestions for improvement are always welcome, along with ideas. And remember if you let me know what you liked or didn't like then I can be sure to put more or less in for the next chapter. Anyway that's all for now, remember reviews make authors happy and happy authors are productive authors.**


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